About this episode
"For every complex problem there's an answer that is clear simple and wrong" Are you confused or disheartened by the mainstream medias portrayal of beef? Would you like to understand how well managed cattle can be a huge step in solving our climate and health problems? Do you long for more nuance in the discussion on how to create sustainable food for our future? Today on the podcast we welcome Nicolette Hahn Niman the author of the book Defending Beef. We talk about how the key to creating a sustainable future can be found by looking back to our food and farming heritage She explains the flaw in the global science reports we all hear about She shares how she moved from being a 30-year vegetarian back to eating meat We talk about the importance of nourishment from real food and hear how Nicolette creates and sustains that for her own family As well as being author, Nicolette is a mother, a lawyer and a rancher . She has an incredible head for science but she has her fingers in the soil and her knife on the chopping board in her kitchen every day . There's so much wisdom in this conversation. "It is complexity and diversity that create regeneration." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Get more news from Alison & Andrea by signing up to their newsletter at the top of the page here. For more tips, inspiration and recipes plus a free 30-page guide to Baking with Ancient Grains sign up for Alison's newsletter here! Get our two podcast cookbooks: Meals at the Ancestral Hearth Spelt Sourdough Every Day Alison's course, Rye Sourdough Bread: Mastering The Basics Alison's Sowans oat fermentation course Get 10% off US/Canada Bokashi supplies: click here and use code AKP . Get 10% off UK Bokashi supplies. Visit our (non-Amazon!) bookshop for a vast selection of ancestral cookbooks: US link here and UK link here . * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Our podcast is supported by a community of ancestral cooks around the world! Come join our community! You can choose to simply sponsor the podcast, or select from a variety of levels with benefits including monthly live Zoom calls, a private podcast feed stuffed with bonus content from Alison and Andrea, and a Discord discussion group. To read more about becoming a supporter and explore the various levels, click here! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Run Down: 0:00 Introduction and what Nicolette last ate 8:15 The science behind cattle's footprint and the problem with global reporting 14:45 Finding simple answers by looking back 29:00 The brilliance of nature and our disconnection from it 32:34 Nicolette's move from vegetarian to meat eating 41.20 Raising a family and running a farm and the importance of nourishment 51:50 How we can make a difference "Do your best. Get what you can from your local community. Raise food if you can. Cook as much as you can and then do not beat up on yourself if you can't be perfect." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 5* reviews on Apple Podcasts, mean the world to us! Here's how you can leave one: Open the Apple Podcast app Find Ancestral Kitchen Podcast in your library Scroll down to 'ratings and reviews' Click on 'write a review', give us 5*s and then tell us why you love listening in the box below * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Resources : Buy Nicolette's book here (whilst supporting local bookstores) Nicolette's ranch Allan Savory Gabe Brown Joel Salatin Thanks to Chelsea Green, we are delighted to be able to give away a copy of Nicolette's book Defending Beef . To find out how to get in the drawer check our Instagram accounts (details below). "For most of human history most people struggled with not having enough information now we are all struggling with a tsunami of information and the challenge is to find out what's credible" Do you have memories, documents, recipes or stories of those who cooked ancestrally? If so, we would love to hear from you! Visit our website here for how to share. Thank you for listening - we'd love to connect more: The podcast has a website here! Alison is taking a break from Instagram. You can stay in touch with her via her newsletter at Ancestral Kitchen The podcast is on Instagram at Ancestral Kitchen Podcast The podcast is mixed and the music is written and recorded by Alison's husband, Rob. Find him here: Robert Michael Kay